sqlmapproject/sqlmap · error · KerberosError

reply decryption failed (wrong password or salt)

Error message

reply decryption failed (wrong password or salt)

What it means

Error "reply decryption failed (wrong password or salt)" thrown in sqlmapproject/sqlmap.

Source

Thrown at extra/kerberos/client.py:247

        raise KerberosError(-1, "malformed KDC reply")

def _parseRep(response, key, usage, expectedNonce, expectedType):
    """Parse an AS-REP / TGS-REP: decrypt its enc-part with 'key' under 'usage', returning the
    opaque ticket and the freshly issued session key. The two replies are structurally identical.
    The reply's application tag MUST match the expected message type, and the nonce carried in the
    (integrity-protected) enc-part MUST equal the request nonce (RFC 4120)."""

    try:                                                   # any structural defect in a hostile/truncated reply -> KerberosError
        tag, repContent = _raiseIfError(response)
        if tag != der.applicationTag(expectedType):
            raise KerberosError(-1, "unexpected reply message type (tag 0x%02x)" % tag)
        rep = _fields(der.peel(repContent)[1])
        encData = _expFields(rep[6])                        # enc-part (EncryptedData)
        repEtype = _expInteger(encData[0])
        try:
            encRepPart = _enctype(repEtype).decrypt(key, usage, _expOctet(encData[2]))
        except ValueError:                                 # HMAC mismatch -> we hold the wrong long-term key
            raise KerberosError(-1, "reply decryption failed (wrong password or salt)")

        # Enc*RepPart = [APPLICATION 25/26] EncKDCRepPart ; key is field [0], nonce is field [2]
        encKdcRep = _fields(der.peel(der.peel(encRepPart)[1])[1])
        if _expInteger(encKdcRep[2]) != expectedNonce:
            raise KerberosError(-1, "reply nonce does not match the request (possible replay)")
        keyFields = _expFields(encKdcRep[0])

        return {
            "ticket": bytes(rep[5]),
            "sessionKey": _expOctet(keyFields[1]),
            "sessionKeyType": _expInteger(keyFields[0]),
            "etype": repEtype,
            "crealm": _expString(rep[3]),
            # EncKDCRepPart endtime [7]; a scan can outlive the ticket, so the caller can re-fetch
            "endtime": _expTime(encKdcRep[7]) if 7 in encKdcRep else None,
        }
    except (KeyError, IndexError, ValueError, struct.error):
        raise KerberosError(-1, "malformed KDC reply")

View on GitHub (pinned to 0a35b20e39)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at extra/kerberos/client.py:247 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of sqlmapproject/sqlmap@0a35b20e39 (2026-08-26). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6283076f8c95aa89. Report an issue: GitHub.